With the summer coming to a close, Christopher Nolan has ended his epic Dark Knight Trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises. A big money maker for Warner Bros. and DC Comics, TDKR ushered in a new era for superhero films. With the series ending, the two powerhouse companies are looking to continue success towards the future after Nolan’s run.
DC recently announced that they are going to create a Justice League film, attempting to mirror or even beat the success of Marvel’s The Avengers. Additionally, a shared film universe could be created before the Justice League movie opens, paralleling Marvel’s cinematic universe, with each DC superhero possibly having their own solo movie leading up to the Justice League film.
Man of Steel could be first on the list, coming to theaters next summer. It’s been revealed that a Batman solo reboot will follow either before or after the JL film. There’s even been news that Batman could first appear in the JL movie before he gets a solo film. Either way, a solo film is coming.
Seeing as how popular Batman has been for the last seven years with TDK Trilogy, this reboot needs to continue that success to keep the momentum going. However, many argue that Nolan’s Batman didn’t retain some of the key qualities that the Dark Knight had from the comics. This reboot needs to veer away from those mistakes and create a Batman that comic lovers know and love; one that embodies the comic book version almost entirely.
Here are eleven things that the Batman reboot must possess.
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40 Comments
The main problem the reboot has is that nobody wants to see the origin story again, we’ve seen it in Begins and it was great, why do we need another origin film?
I agree that no one wants to see a reboot, and it leaves a difficult situation. A new film cant entirely follow the Nolan continuity, as he essentially wrapped it up. I think the real problem with a reboot is where can they start? everybody who would watch the film is likely to know the origins of batman, but it would still feel somewhat incomplete without some references to it in a reboot. As much as I loved Nolan’s first two batman films, he’s really messed with an immediate reboot, which I imagine was an intentional move.
Yep, agree with Ben. I was thinking about that while reading this.
You have forgotten about the batmobile and his other bat-vehicles. Nolan’s perception of realistic vehicles was alright. It was different but, we need the batmobile not a tumbler. Look at the burton and schumacher films, the batmobile and batplane was epic interpretation from comics! I agree with mostly everything else. Batman is an established character people know! Wether they’ve seen any of the movies, cartoons, video games and books. People know enough about him to want to see another batman movie. Me being a huge fan of bats wants to keep seeing him on the big screen ASAP! No origin story please! If needed just reference it in flashbacks.
Please please please please. STAY AWAY from the next Batman film. You speak with the expertise of a comic book dork and not a successful filmmaker. Batman as a detective and a martial artist were your only valid points. Nothing else you said would amount to a more successful film than any of the last three, or the ’89 Batman. I find your use of the word “failed” laughable as well. Those movies didn’t “fail” simply because they didn’t represent the vision you have a hard-on for- they specifically did not want to go that route. An elaborate Batcave would’ve created audience whiplash; fantastical villains would’ve looked stupid; trying to include all the remaining “psychological battle” villains would’ve bloated the stories; Robin is a mistake altogether. I really wish that character would stay dead. He is not one bit necessary if, as you say, Batman is the world’s greatest detective/martial artist- his only purpose was giving Batman someone to talk to one the PAGE OF A COMIC BOOK, so Bruce wasn’t always in thought bubble. In the movies, he can just do things- nothing else required.
Okaaaaaaay…..calm down. We’re just throwing opinions around here.
Agree. It would be impossible for any future movie or movies to try to what dozens and hundreds of comic book adventures have already done. There is no reason for that. If Batman comic book fans love a specific story, just revisit the comics. The movies are made for completely different reasons, and as we have seen, different visions yield entirely different versions of Batman. I prefer the realistic Batman, Nolan’s, and I abhor and detest what Joel Schumacher did. Tim Burton was interesting but forgettable.
I hope the next incarnation of Batman retains all the best qualities of Batman, that it stays away from what die-hard comic book fans want, and that it continues to attract those unfamiliar with the story. Otherwise, it will fail. Nolan is a tough act to follow.
I think following the comics is the number one thing they should do.
What i meanr by failed, Alexander, wasbthat he failed to display certain classic aspects of Batman. I am a comic book dork but being a filmmaker is jjust an aspiration of mine; a dream. I repspect your opinion but respect mine. I love Nolan’s take personally. There were just some things he didnt display that i had hoped he would. This is just my opinion.
But the Dark Knight was a detective film! I don’t know if you noticed it, but Bruce Wayne has to put his detective skills to the limit if he wants to catch the Joker. There are loads of scenes all the way through the trilogy of Bruce Wayne and Batman alike using his detective skills. Just because you want it spoon fed to you doesn’t mean it’s not in there.
Thanks for the article Rob.
No mention of gadgets? Along with the detective work and fluid martial arts fighting it was one of the things I missed from the Nolan Batman.
The more I think about a new Batman, the more I think that it should be a TV show. The detective, martial arts Batman doesn’t need a big budget, just enough time for big story archs.
Thanks for othe suppirt Tristan. Am i wrong for aounding like a comic book dork? We’re talking about a comic book movie here. It doesnt hurt to have a few comic booky aspirations for a comic book movie. But sorry if im not Francis Ford Coppola enough for you Alexander.
I basically agree with all the comments, I would elaborate of why this article sucks but it would take too long. So I’ll just say that it just sounds like he just randomly pick things about the comics and formulated a list. You may want to be a filmmaker and/screen writer but you have a long way to go. Sorry. The movie shouldn’t be exactly like the comic because they are two separate means.
I respect your opinion. But, helllllo just an opinion. Im a guy who like movies and comics. And by tje way, are you a filmmaker? It seems like everyone who commented here just knows best. The Avengers was a lot like the comics. It wouldnt hurt to see some of this stuff in a movie. Why do you guys comment just to tear someone else’s opinion down? I know everything on this list cant ne in a movie. Everything on it doesnt suck. The detective, martail artist, batcave, intimidator and batman or bruce points are great ideas. I can agrew a little that robin may be a lottle corny. Geeze, you guys loveto criticize. Id like to see your lists.
I did just pick things from the comics and formulated a list. The whole odea was what, from the comics, should be included in a reboot. Sometimes, you need to have a good amount of the source material in the movie.
I think that you’re right.the new movie should embrace the look and the fill of the comic books.I would LOVE to see a dark knight that was more of a detective/mystery movie that is grounded in realism and that shows he is a master of disguise and a master fighter….then the way he was portrayed in the dark knight movies. that’s why i’m glad that there’s a cartoon coming soon as a series that will reflect this kind of batman that is more in line with a detective who can solve any case and show that he is someone that the villains fear.it will be called beware of the batman:)
This is a great article Rob. I agree with everything on here and makes the comic book fan in me all giddy. Hopefully when a reboot is made it will include most of what you suggested here, it will make for a great movie.
I dread the idea of a remake that might put us back to the Joel Schumacher days. Very well written article, though.
I agree with some of your suggestions. Obviously the best way to do this is to have a TV series. Or do comics…eh, never mind.
Some of the ideas won’t work in a two-hour movie, marketed to fans and non-fans alike, which is why Nolan’s trilogy worked. It never assumed the audience was already familiar with the story(ies)…
Good article. I like your ideas I think they would fit perfectly in live action tv show. They should should stay away from campe and stick with realism its what sells. I rather see a dark rumour of the criminal underworld than a man with a little boy and fetish for tights. Its a tall order and to fit 2 and half hours would be tough a tv show would fit better. The article is interesting I’d like to see dick grayson and see him evolve in to nightwing. maybe pass to jason todd but kill him soon if he too obnoxious. have talia as the relationship that works. but cat woman as the flirt.
No reboots…well, at least not for a good 15-20 years or so. Like someone said earlier, nobody wants to see another origin story. Furthermore, nobody wants to see the Nolan trilogy get trampled on by what will inevitably be inferior work. Let the Bat go out with a bang for a while. Leave it alone. I’m happy watching the Nolan films from time to time, if only to keep the memories of Batman Forever at bay!
12. a good batmobile this time please
Why does everyone assume a reboot means an origin story? It just means that we leave behind the previous continuity and start with a new cast etc.
I am looking forward to a reboot and think something along the lines of the Gotham Knight animation would be ideal. Although canon with the Nolanverse it had a more fantastical feel to it with more outlandish villains and a stylised Gotham.
How dare you smear the name of the Waynes by calling them the ‘Rockefellers’ of their world.
Rockefellers = crap.
I disagree with pretty much every thing on this list.
Some good points on this list but not so sure about robin! Only reason I would like to see another origin story would be if it were more like a batman prequel in that the film started in the era of the parents and worked it’s way on. I’d like to see a portrayal of Bruce Wayne in his teenage years travelling abroad in the different colleges where he learned his different skills during this period and the acquaintances that he met. It could be cool to delve more into the origins of some of the villains like Riddler, Joker, etc. Give them equal screen time alongside Bruce Wayne and leave it that they’re not just villains from the start. I liked how in The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent didn’t just become two face twenty minutes into the film. A perfect example would be Jim Carey’s speedy transformation into the Riddler. I would like to see the next version dig deeper into the stories of their demise, was it by choice, was it forced, do they even realise what they’ve become. After all, the notion of what is good and what is evil is only relative to the individual, or their point of view. Have it so that by the time there is a showdown between batman and the villain that deep down a part of the viewer is secretly rooting for the villain due to a connection made with the character over a long period of time in the film. For a superhero that boasts and prides it’s catalogue of villains more than most, there can be no denying that this is a source of material that has been under used and is a franchise that is inclined to take the approach where each film springs a villain that is merely a stepping stone to the next one. Also, one of the points mentioned above about the whole bruce v batman conflict could be used just as well in the case of the villains. Overall, the general consensus is negative with regards to batman’s origins featuring in the next film. However, I can’t see how it would be feasible for it to be neglected as in terms of being a body of work for any film maker/director etc, it would seem incomplete as batman’s origin is a huge part of his raison d’etre. This is a chance to wipe the slate clean, start from scratch and if an origin story is going to be featuring, then make sure that it’s a comprehensive one.
Nolans films were certainly the best. However this doesn’t mean someone couldn’t do better. The other incarnations did contain did contain parts of Batman that Nolan didn’t capture well. I’d like a Comic book accurate Batman. Perhaps using a story taken right out of the comics with little changes except in dialog.
Reading some of the negative comments above is hilarious. Most of them calling Rob a comic fanboy, but yet everyone can clearly see the critics own fanboyism of the Nolan films. I felt the Nolan films stunk. There were good elements and moments. But, this obsession with realism in films is built on arrogance. This, “The comics are childish and I’m above that.” attitude. Batman is a comic book. If you don’t like the comic, then maybe you can get with Nolan and create an original movie for once and quit jacking other franchises. Hollywood likes to ride on the back of established franchises and messes them up.
The best attempt at Batman was definitely Tim Burton’s first Batman film. Considering film limitations at the time, he did a great job of capturing the feel of the comics. I mean, that scene where the batwing flies up in front of the moon making the image of the bat-signal was epic and very true to what one might see in a comic book panel. With the special effects we have at our disposal and the recent overwhelming success of the Marvel films I think it’s time to do a film as faithful to the comics as the Batman Arkham games. If someone would of told me 15 years ago that Marvel was going to make an Avengers movie with the characters wearing their original costumes I would have said it wouldn’t work. I would have expected them to tone down the costumes like they did with the Xmen. But, these films had shown that people want distinct looking characters. The public is imaginative enough to suspend disbelief and want more of this. Instead of a CG Hulk, could you imagine a CG Grundy or Bane? And for once a Catwoman as sexy as she is in the comics and Arkam games. DC stop pandering to these comic haters and go at this like Marvel did. Give us the real Batman and Joker we all love like you did with the Arkam games. The games were hugely successful because of this. Nolan turned me off to Batman. But, the games got me back into the comics again.
And how can anyone get tired of Joker. The guy is to Batman what Vader and the Emperor is to Luke. He is the Yin to Batman’s Yang. Always trying to push Batman over to the Darkside. That’s the one thing Nolan got right in the second film, but yet still got Joker wrong in every other way. And we all know that Joker isn’t dead. Clayface got the role of a lifetime. Faking Joker’s death. I’m sure the Yin will be back in the next game. Now if he could show up on film.
They also finally need to make the grey suit. I’ve been wanting to see the proper grey and blue batsuit done in live action, the closest we’ve had was in Arkham City, I want something like that.
In away I can agree with 90% of the arguments made on both sides. Movies can’t be exactly like a comic book, but the Avengers did keep a good part of the comics in it. Y can’t that be done with Batman? For that matter y can’t that be done with Robin? Or even the Joker? Look back at all the previous Batman movies. The closest thing to how the Joker should be is the Riddler from Batman Forever. Minus the riddles of course. Robin did start off campy in the comics bjt he eventually became jusr as dark as Batman. All 7 of tbe previous movies got some parts right. Now we need to take what was lsarned from them. Get rid of the bad keep the good and take a chance on some new ideas.
What did the Nolan films do well? Present a fresh look at Batman for a wide, modern audience. They didn’t attempt to stick to the books, left out all the mysticism and a lot of the fantastical elements that make Batman who he is for us comic-book readers.
As a comic book reader, I appreciated this list of “wants” in a Batman movie. However, I can’t really agree with much of it. This list is basically asking for a live-action version of Batman The Animated Series. Personally, I find that the animated Batman movies have done a great job at bringing the comic books to life. Under The Red Hood was fantastic, to say the least. I look forward to these just as much as I looked forward to the Nolan films.
Each style serves its own purpose. The Nolan films reached an audience that Batman would not have reached under “comic book” circumstances. It stayed true enough to Batman’s underlying story, while bringing it the realism that modern audiences respond to. The animated films/shows continue to bring us the Batman we grew up with, the one that fans want.
The arguments of “The Avengers did this that and the other” don’t really hold up in my eyes because it’s an entirely different style. The Avengers was a whole lot of fun, and I loved the film portrayal that came relatively close to The Ultimates, but I don’t think that’s what I want from a live-action Batman film. I want something a little different. Something a little uncomfortable and much, much darker.
If we were to rip pages out of the comic books for the next Batman movie, I would propose that the perfect adaption to make would be The Long Halloween. It’s dark. It’s a film-noir detective story with plenty of action. And it’s a comic book story that could translate well to film.
WTF!!! The dark knight trilogy was already awesome… It’s going to be just like The Amazing Spiderman. It was a success but I think it was lame and the character was a depressed jerk. I mean what’s the point of being obsessed with a reboot-movie, if it was just recently made 5 years ago. the audience would just be more confused and critics would just underestimate it… They should wait another decade to make a reboot… Superhero movies are getting messier…
my opinion is i was a lil pissed off that they decided to do a reboot… I mean nolan could have done at least one more where we finally GOT TO SEE Robin become robin…. it would of been the perfect play then do a reboot… don’t leave people over the edge of the seat knowing something epics coming then stab em in the back that its not gonna happen at all… its a big let down to some fans… after all I wasnt too big on the dark knight rises like i was the dark knight… but personally i think they could have done a whole lot more with it…. meaning like they could have gone a bit more further for a last last story… I mean think about it ROBIN PENGUIN THE RIDDLER and THE JOKER Still being alive … there could have been so much done in one last film dont just cut it off like other movies after a 3rd one… we want more of a different not the same old 3 movies then done time 2 reboot thats just not fair to some fans…. I was really looking forward to seeing ROBIN one last time in a new setting but it was a big let down to find out we wont see it and I WONT SEE IT
I feel one important thing that makes a big difference on the note of his martial arts prowess is the costume. Every Batman film has had him clad in so much body armor that he can’t move well enough to fight properly. In The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel he puts it perfectly. “The armor plate on my chest holds– why do you think I wear a big target on my chest, I can’t have armor from head to toe”. They fear a classic grey and black costume will be too cheesy but done right I think it is what the character needs.
I would like to see a Batman movie Reboot. I didnt like the origin story that Nolan’s film’s had. I did like his style. He chose villains that were logically plausible. I would have not tried to use bane tho. I thought he should have been Latino not some douche with an annoying voice. Also where was the Titan? Here’s my list of Evil Doers that I’d like to see
Mr Freeze may be good as long as he’s a scientist first
Riddler could be done but not as a main baddy
Joker yes but id like to see the red hood first…
Catwoman for sure
Black Mask is probably my favourite for a movie reboot villain
Talia Al-Ghul
The Mad Hatter would be interesting
Here’s my thoughts on the movie Bruce Wayne could return to the Gotham and be focused on the company and they could plant seeds for the villains Among workers at Wayne’ company while Black Mask and other Crime Syndicates are polluting Gotham Streets with Guns Drugs and preying on the innocent. Bruce trying to figure out how he can help finally dons the Cape And cowl just after he does his thing the movie ends with Bruce going to watch the flying Graysons at a carnival and hint the not only Robin will be in the next one but that the Royal Flush Gang will be the next baddies in the next film
I must agree, while the nolan films did have there moments, they are obviously not trying to be like the comic books. the original tim burton films, and even schumachers Batman Forever, were all trying to be like the comic books and tim burton got it the most right in that he kept the gritty noirish gotham city while still haveing fantasical things like the batplane that actually looked like a bat not a hovercraft lobster trasnformer, a real batmobile and a clearly-shown batsignal against the sky. the villians were creepy (joker, penguin, catwoman), they may have different slightly from the comics but it was all for the better of the character. i said years ago there will never be a catwoman better then michelle pfieffer and well, i stand corrected. hathaway was fricken WEAK.
even though we already got a set of batman films that mimicked the comics (the original antholgy), now that we have a “what would batman be in the real world?” approach, we now need to go back to the comics. dark but not taken so seriously because as the nolan films has shown us, wheres the fun in that?
hey!!!ppl. dont u get it if d cast is changed then wat will b d the fun ……i mean deres no other actor lyk christian bale for the batman’s role…..and his all three movies dkr trilogy were awesum rocking…..and its not also gud to b exactly lyk d comics sum points can be changed…dont reboot and try to convince bale
I think its really pointless rebooting Batman. Chris Nolan gave us a decent realistic interpretation of the Batman story. I don’t see why there needs to be a reboot. There was no way that Nolan could have been 100% truthful the the comic story. If he had included villains with supernatural powers, then it would have felt cheesy & unrealistic. And I’ve ever liked Robin that much, even in the Comics. He always seemed Gay. If they really wanna do another Batman movie, then they should make it in CGI. Then Batman can be buff, Kenvin Conroy can do the Voice along with Mark Hamilton, and there can be no limitation to the amount of Villains appearing.
i dont think you need a reboot
you could take some of the comic stories and use them as pre-quels.
‘The Cult’ for example, possibly ‘Death in the Family’ etc
I think Nolan’s films show the Batman I love – Frank Millers’s Dark Knight onwards, even the tumbler. I hope we never go back to the Schumacker interpretation….especially his Bane…god forbid, I’m cringing right now..”BAAAAAANE…HMMMMMM….ME WANT BANANAAAAAAAA”
I have been thinking that the way to reboot it would be to go e robin route. Make the trilogy more about him, you could give his origin in the first film then by the second have him grow distant with Batman have him moving further away and to some point starting to hate Batman then at the end of the second film you would see him step out from Batmans shadow and become nightwing the third film could then see them having to team up and deal with a big threat and they end on okay terms but not good terms. W can have a new robin introduced in the third film with his origin story being very short maybe some dialogue between the new robin and the old robin.
After that with the trilogy over you can continue batman into a fourth film with his new robin and open a nightwing film series and thus stretch out the batman series and growing the do cinematic universe even bigger.
Hving a robin origin trilogy would take away the same old batman rehash origin and give us a new character to live through. A least that would be a new reboot I would like. In fact I’m gonna go and write a fan fiction trilogy based around that. And currently being in hospital I haven’t got much else to do.